Folding hay-knife.



L. L. CARR.

FOLDING HAY KNIFE. APPLICATION FILED MAB. 14, 1911.

1,007,529, I Patel lted Oct. 31, 1911.

INVENTOR LurHE/r A. Cflmi- W1 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

: LUTHER L. CARR, OF CHALMERS, INDIANA.

FOLDING HAY-KNIFE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER L. CARR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chalmers, in the county of White and State of Indiana, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Hay- Knives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in hay knives, and has for an object to provide a novel construction of knife in which the blade can be conveniently folded into the handle so that when the knife is not in actual use, the blade will be housed within and protected by the handle, the handle and blade being so formed that the handle operates as a stop to limit the opening movement of the blade at the proper point and the handle being provided with hand-holds for convenience in manipulating the knife, means being also provided for holding the blade to the handle both in the opened and closed positions of the blade; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the knife with the blade opened to position for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the knife with the blade folded into the handle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on about line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the knife through the handle and blade taken at a point midway between the hand holds. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a finely serrated or sickle blade which may be used instead of the coarser blade shown in Fig. 1.

The blade may, in general respects, be of ordinary construction and may be coarsely serrated as shown at A in Fig. 1 or more finely serrated as shown at B in Fig. 5. The blade has an opening A for the passage of the pivot bolt C, which bolt is threaded and receives a wing nut C, which may be operated to clamp the side plates of the handle case upon the blade to secure the blade in open position, as shown in Fig. 1 or in closed position as shown in Figs. 2 and The handle case D has side plates D and D and a back plate D the latter terminating short of the ends of the handle case D and the blade A having a shoulder A near its pivot to abut the back plate D and limit the opening movement of the blade in the position Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 614,324.

shown in Fig. 1, in which position it may be secured by tightening the wing nut C as will be understood from Fig. 1 of the drawing; The handle case D is provided near its opposite ends with hand-holds E in the form of projecting handles bored longitudinally for the passage of the securing bolts F, by which the handles are held to the side plate D of the handle case, the plate D being provided with openings D in line with the bolts F for permitting the introduction of the said bolts F to the position shown in Fig. 3 in order to facilitate the application of the hand-holds in the use of the invention.

The construction is simple, inexpensive, provides an eflicient closure for the blade when not in use and a handle therefor when it is in use, and also provides means for securing the blade firmly in both its opened and closed positions.

The handle case is usually made of iron or other suitable plate, folded to form the side and back plates and the handle opens to an angle of about 55 as will be understood from Fig. 1 of the drawing. When the handle is open at 55, the metallic handle case will operate as a counterweight or counterpoise and aid in driving the blade downward, forward and into the hay, straw or other material to'be cut.

I claim:

1. A hay knife, substantially as herein described, comprising a handle case, having side plates and a back plate connecting the same at one edge with the back plate terminating short of the ends of the side plates, one of said side plates being provided with bolt holes andthe other side plate being provided in alinement with said bolt holes, with openings for the passage of bolts to the said bolt holes, bolts passed through the bolt holes and projecting beyond the side plate which supports the said bolts, handles or hand-holds on the said bolts, and a blade, substantially as set forth.

2. A. hay knife comprising a case having side plates spaced apart, with the space between the side plates unobstructed, handholds projecting outwardly from one of the side plates and free from any connection with the other side plate, whereby a blade may be housed between the side plates without interference by the hand-holds, and a blade pivoted between the side plates at one end and adapted to be adjusted between said side plates when not in use, substantially as set forth.

3. A hay knife having a handle case provided with side plates and a back plate made integral wit-h the side plates and having one of its side plates provided with holes for the passage of bolts and the other side plate provided with openings opposite said holes for the passage of bolts, bolts passing through said openings and holes and countersunk in the inner ends ,oftheir respective holes, hand-holds carried by said bolts, and a blade pivoted to the handle case, substan tially as set forth.

LUTHER L. CARR.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. HoRNBEoK, A. D. RAUB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

